A Tale of Two Heat Pumps

Cool Tips for a Hot Planet

When we built our house in the late ‘80s, we installed an air-source heat pump. I loved it for its gentle heat. But 37 years ago, that heat pump only warmed our cockles when outside temps were above -5 or so. Below that, a back-up electric furnace took over.

Fast forward some 20 years: gas lines had come to our neighbourhood. There were federal and provincial rebates for adding insulation, new windows and doors – and for switching to a high-efficiency gas furnace – so we did all of the above. Sadly, we didn’t even think about the environmental impact of fossil gas at the time. It’s largely methane – a much more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.

In October we switched back to a heat pump. They’ve come a long way baby. This one is good for cold climates and requires no separate back-up furnace. A built-in electric coil supplements the heat pump when temperatures dip below -20 C and takes over fully at around -30 C. And, unlike our first heat pump, it does not occasionally blow cold air in winter.

Another advantage: While our original heat pump system cost more to operate than the gas furnace that replaced it, the opposite is now true. This winter, in total, our utility costs dropped 30 per cent. In summer the heat pump will efficiently cool the house – so no need to buy an air conditioner.

We don’t live in an area slated for new gas line installations from Enbridge, like Bobcaygeon. Those who do would pay extra charges for the new pipeline on their gas bill. On the other hand, they could save up to $10,000 over the lifetime of a cold climate heat pump if they chose that instead, according to new analysis by the Ontario Clean Air Alliance. Unfortunately, Enbridge doesn’t provide that information in enticing potential customers to install fossil gas. Because of such omissions, the Competition Bureau has launched an investigation into that company’s alleged deceptive marketing.

Beyond the dollars and cents, I was delighted that by removing fossil gas from our home heating equation we will reduce our annual carbon footprint by more than three metric tonnes. Not quite the equivalent of taking a typical gas-powered car off the road for a year, but it’s close.

Despite heat pumps selling like hot cakes over the last couple of years some people remain lukewarm to the idea. They question the up-front costs, the need to upgrade electrical panels, or to install ductwork. For their consideration:

1. The panel upgrade varies with the type of heat pump installed, and the house. I’m reading that sometimes circuit sharers, pausers or breaker consolidation can help, but your installer or electrician can tell you about that.

2. There are ductless heat pumps available.

3. Our upfront costs were greatly reduced by a federal grant and interest-free, 10-year loan. While the grant was recently discontinued, the federal interest-free loan (up to $40,000) is still available through the Canada Greener Homes program. Low to moderate income families now heating with oil can apply for a grant of up to $10,000 for a heat pump through Natural Resource Canada’s Oil to Heat Pump Affordability Program. And qualifying households using electric heat can apply for a free cold climate heat pump through Ontario’s Save on Energy Program.